Between Friends
by k826.2
Summary: After college, Dawn invites Mary Anne and Kristy to spend the summer with her on the California coast. Mary Anne is in love. Kristy is moody. And Dawn is...Dawn. With all three keeping secrets, it’s going to be one interesting summer.
1. Chapter 1: Mary Anne

**Between Friends**

Summary: After college, Dawn invites Mary Anne and Kristy to spend the summer with her on the California coast. With all three are keeping secrets about their romantic entanglements, it's going to be one interesting summer.

A/N: This is my first fanfic. It's an idea I've been kicking around for awhile, and finally just had to see where it takes me. It takes place one year post-college for Mary Anne, who graduated in four years.

_Mary Anne,_

_I know, I know, it's been a long time since you've heard from me, and I don't really have a good excuse. But I want to know if you're interested in coming out to California for the summer. I'm house sitting for a friend, and the roommates I lined up have all fallen through: Sunny and her partner Asante are going to Guatemala to assist in the mud slide relief efforts, Kimiko got a job working on an organic co-op in Oregon, and Aubrey just got busted for possession. I know you plan to take the summer off before starting your new job, so why don't you come out here? Invite Kristy, too. Tell her there are lots of hot surfer boys here in Santa Cruz, so she can finally get over that guy she's been mooning over for the past year. Think about it and let me know._

_Dawn_

_P.S. Have you told Kristy about you and Sam yet?_

I snapped the cover of my laptop closed and placed it on the floor beside me. "I just got an e-mail from my stepsister," I said to my boyfriend, who was on the couch and engrossed in the final inning of a Red Sox game. "She wants me to go out to California or the summer."

"Huh? Sorry, Mary Anne. Hold on just a sec. There are only two strikes left."

I love my boyfriend, but just try to have a conversation with him when the Red Sox are playing. Or the Celtics. Or the Patriots. Come to think of it, any televised sporting event—except maybe figure skating—calls for a temporary ban on conversation.

While I waited for the game to finish, I thought about my stepsister's e-mail. It had been almost a year since we'd last seen each other, at my graduation from Boston College. Dawn lives in Santa Cruz, California, and I'm currently in Boston, although I grew up in Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Dawn, a native Californian, moved back to her home state to live with her father shortly after my father and her mother, Sharon, married. After a couple of years at UC Santa Cruz, she decided college wasn't her thing. The last I heard she had become a certified Pilates instructor. Keeping in touch isn't Dawn's strong suit, though. She'll go months without talking to me or Sharon. Sometimes my stepsister feels like a complete stranger, though when we do get together we're always able to pick up where we left off.

Kristy Thomas is much more of a sister to me than Dawn has ever been. Kristy and I have been best friends since childhood, when we lived next door to each other. We don't see much of each other these days—Kristy lives in Chicago—but we e-mail or talk on the phone almost every day. Kristy went to DePaul University on a softball scholarship; after graduating early two years ago she got a position as an assistant programs director at the YMCA. It's the perfect job for Kristy—she's able to combine her love of sports with her management skills. She claims she hates her job, though. She says the program structure is too rigid and doesn't afford her as much creativity as she would like. I have a feeling her unhappiness has less to do with her job and more to do with her breakup with her long term boyfriend, who took a job in California last year. Dawn is right. A vacation is just what Kristy needs. It's what I need, too. I just finished my student teaching, and will begin teaching psychology to high school students in the fall. A summer on the beach sounds like the perfect way to unwind before I'm thrown into the sea of raging teenage hormones.

The baseball commentators started the final wrap-up. "Okay, what were you saying?" Sam asked.

"Dawn's invited me and Kristy to go spend the summer with her. It sounds like fun."

"A whole summer in California? Sounds far away."

"I know, I know. Would you mind my being away for the whole summer? It's not like we're joined at the hip. Besides, with you studying for the Bar I'll just be a distraction."

"A damn tasty distraction," he said, pulling me in for a kiss. "Of course I don't mind if you go to California. As long as you know you'll be missing out on some fine lovin'."

I laughed. "I think I'll survive." We shared another kiss. "Barely."

"There's just one thing," Sam said.

"What?"

"How are you going to spend a whole summer with my sister without telling her about us?"

Okay, so I've been seeing my best friend's brother. He ended up here in Boston for law school while I was doing my undergrad work in Psychology. For a long time it didn't even register with either of us that we lived within a few miles of each other; Sam was here for a year before Kristy and I met him for drinks during one of her trips out here. I've known Sam most of my life, but he was always my best friend's big brother. When we were kids we sort of hung out together, but once he hit middle school he pretty much ignored us. Which was fine with me, since I'm the world's shyest person and couldn't even talk to a boy back then, much less look at one. In high school Sam and I traveled in different circles, and he was in college by the time Kristy and I were really getting into the social aspect of high school. So it took us that long to reconnect. When we did, I found he was a pretty cool guy. We started hanging out more, meeting for drinks on Friday nights or coffee on Sunday mornings. Last year, while I was getting my teaching credential and he was finishing his last year of law school, we took our relationship to the next level. We just haven't managed to tell Kristy about it.

"I know we have to tell her eventually. I'm just not ready. It's too weird, you know? And the longer we wait, the worse it will be, because you _know_ Kristy will be mad at us for keeping secrets."

"Some secret. Kristy is the only person who _doesn't_ know about it."

"Yeah. That _is_ odd. How in the world has Karen managed not to spill the beans?"

"I threatened to tell Watson and Mom that she got kicked out of Camp Mohawk last summer for smuggling in beer and cigarettes. It was the week Mom and Watson were on their European cruise, and I was the emergency contact. She knows she's busted for life if she tells." Sam tried to suppress a grin.

The news that Kristy and Sam's big mouthed stepsister wouldn't be outing us anytime soon should have comforted me, but there was still everyone else to worry about. Both of our families knew about us, and several acquaintances had seen us together the last time we'd been in Stoneybrook. Sam and I were living on borrowed time. I just needed a little more of it to gather my courage to tell Kristy that I was in love with her brother. In the meantime, I would call her to see if she was up for a summer on the coast.


	2. Chapter 2: Kristy

I checked my cell phone as I stepped off the El: Mary Anne had called me three times during my short commute home from work. I make it a policy not to take calls when I'm on public transportation—people who use the El as their own personal office are my pet peeve, and I refuse to contribute to the annoyance. Instead of dialing in to listen to my messages, I called Mary Anne back.

"Hey, what's going on? Why'd you just call me three times in the span of fifteen minutes?" I asked when she picked up on the first ring.

"I just heard from Dawn," Mary Anne said. "She's house sitting on the beach this summer and wants to know if we'd like to join her."

"We?" Dawn and I are friends, but we aren't particularly close. I couldn't even remember the last time we'd spoken—although I knew Mary Anne kept her up to date on what was going on in my life, just as she kept me up to date on Dawn's news.

"She asked me to invite you. I kind of told her you're unhappy with your job. Maybe she thinks you need a change of scenery."

"Yeah. About that. I plan on turning in my resignation next Friday."

"Do you have something new lined up?"

"Not exactly. Mom and Watson said I can stay with them for awhile. They were planning on hiring someone to look after Andrew and Emily this summer. They're too old for a babysitter, but with all their activities they need a chauffeur, I guess. So today I decided to sublet my apartment for the summer and go home to Stoneybrook. Be a babysitter again for a couple of months. Then I'll decide if I even want to go back to Chicago." I pushed open my building's revolving door and began to stride toward the elevator. A harried looking mom with a toddler and an infant in a double stroller held the elevator for me. "Thanks," I mouthed.

"Why don't you come out to California with me instead? Sounds like a better place to reevaluate your life than in your parents' house."

"I don't know. It sounds like a good time. It _will_ be more relaxing than taking care of kids. I'll think about it," I promised.

"Great. I have to go. I'm about to go to dinner. Call me when you make a decision. And Kristy…"she trailed off.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing. Just try to take things easy." Mary Anne and I hung up as I entered my empty apartment. Sometimes I think things would be better if I had a pet. My building doesn't allow dogs, but a cat might be nice. Someone to greet me when I come home and cuddle with me in bed. Oh, God. I'm only 22 and I'm already turning into one of those crazy cat ladies.

I pulled a box of Mini Wheats out of my cupboard and poured myself a bowl, then settled onto the couch with the remote. This is how it is every night. I rarely deviate from my schedule: Up at five to run six miles; come home to shower and get ready for work; take the El to my office at the Y, where I'm an assistant programs director; work a nine hour day with only a short break for lunch; take the El home; curl up on the couch with my cereal to watch whatever mind numblingly boring crap the network television executives have decided I should watch. Although I do have a soft spot for _Survivor_. Cary used to say I should audition for it.

Cary. I have to stop myself from thinking about him. An endeavor at which I've been unsuccessful for the past year. Cary was my boyfriend, I guess, although we never used labels to define our relationship. But if you spend all your free time together, eat together and sleep together, take each other to social functions and your family's home when you need support at your grandmother's funeral…that pretty much means you're a couple, right?

It still surprises even me that Cary Retlin and I ended up in a serious relationship. Back in middle school he used to torment me and my friends in the Baby-Sitters Club. In high school we sort of became friends. After high school I ended up here in Chicago and Cary stayed in Stoneybrook. When he transferred to Northwestern to major in journalism after a year at Stoneybrook Community College, he looked me up and we started hanging out. We're a lot alike, I guess that's why we were drawn to each other. We're both driven to succeed—we both graduated from college a year early—and we tend to rub people the wrong way. Cary because his sarcastic wit borders on rude, me because I'm told I'm bossy and insensitive. Actually, I'm surprised Cary was attracted to me at all. I stopped growing in high school, when I finally hit five feet. The rest of me stopped growing, too. I am the proud owner of a "nearly B" size chest. My sense of style hasn't changed much since the eighth grade. My daily uniform is comprised of jeans, Gap stretch T-shirts, and running shoes. In short, I'm not the sort of girl most guys would look twice at. The goes double here in the city, where beautiful women tend to congregate. Maybe that's why we're not together anymore: a therapist would probably say I was never secure in the relationship.

After college, Cary and I got an apartment together and things were just fine. I got my job at the Y, and Cary worked at Starbucks and freelanced while he looked for a full time position at a newspaper. Then, about a year ago, Cary finally got a job. In Fresno, California. He didn't tell me he was going to fly out there to interview, didn't ask me how I felt about moving when he accepted the position. And that was the end of things. We're both stubborn, and neither of us would budge. All relationships have to end eventually, right? Ours ended when I helped him pack his bags and told him not to call. I didn't even see him—my boyfriend (if that's what you want to call him), my only friend in Chicago—off at the airport. It's been a year, and neither of us has budged. Mary Anne once told me that one day I'll wake up and he won't be the first thing on my mind. I'm still waiting for that day to come.


	3. Chapter 3: Mary Anne

**Mary Anne**

On the first Saturday in June, Sam dropped me off at Boston's Logan International Airport. I always have to laugh when I hear the name of our airport—Logan Bruno was the name of my first boyfriend. I haven't seen or heard from him in years, but whenever I fly out of Boston I think of him and the kid I used to be.

Because Sam couldn't cross security, we said our goodbyes at the baggage check. "I love you," I said. I wrapped my arms around him as far as they would go. Sam's big—not fat, just athletic—and I'm petite. It sounds corny, but inside his embrace is the best place I can imagine.

"Here." Sam handed me my iPod. "Don't forget this. I took it out of your backpack last night and added a new play list. Songs to remind you of us."

A tear came to my eye, and I knew I was going to lose it. "I'm going to miss you so much," I sobbed.

"I'm going to miss you, too. Like crazy. But there's no reason to cry. We'll still talk to each other, and you'll be too busy having fun with your friends to miss me. Just think of all the fun we'll have when we get back." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I know. I just hate goodbyes." I stood on my toes to rest my head on Sam's shoulder. We stood like that for a minute, oblivious to the commotion around us. Finally, Sam broke our embrace. "You need to get going. Don't want to miss your flight."

"Right. I'll call you when we land in Chicago, and again in California." I picked up my carryon and put on my bravest smile. We kissed once more before I headed toward the security line.

I'd purposely scheduled my flight with a layover in Chicago so Kristy and I could fly into San José (the closest airport to Santa Cruz) together. I spent the two hour flight reading _Memoirs of a Geisha_. When we landed I discovered I wouldn't have to change terminals, so I got a vanilla latté and a muffin at the Starbucks kiosk on my way to our gate and sat down to wait for Kristy.

"Mary Anne!" I heard Kristy before I saw her. For such a small person, she sure has a large set of lungs. She was running toward me, hauling a backpack that one might take to scale Mount Everest. In one hand she carried a Starbucks cup, which I knew contained her standard black. In the other hand was a McDonald's bag. Kristy flung her food and the backpack to the floor and caught me in a huge one-armed hug.

I'm sure onlookers thought we were sisters reuniting after months spent apart. Kristy and I look enough alike that we could actually pass for sisters. We both have the same brown hair and eyes, the same petite physique (although I have a good three inches on Kristy). "It's so good to see a friendly face," Kristy said as we broke apart. Honestly, you'd think she'd just been released from prison. I knew things had been rough for her since her breakup with Cary, but I hadn't realized what a toll it had taken on her until now. On the surface she looked like the same old Kristy—jean shorts, solid red T-shirt, running shoes, brown hair cut into the chin-length bob she'd worn since our Freshman year of high school—but her eyes seemed sad.

"What's in the bag?" I asked.

"Egg McMuffin and a fruit and yogurt parfait. I didn't have time to eat."

"No, the other bag." I gestured to the enormous backpack.

"That's my stuff. Can you believe I fit everything I'll need for the summer into one bag? I didn't want to have to check anything."

"I hope they let you take it on the plane. What's in it?"

"Just a few shorts and T-shirts, running clothes, some flip flops and an extra pair of running shoes, my swimsuit, and some other stuff. Books, iPod, sunblock. And a dress. Just in case we go out." Kristy grimaced. She still hates getting dressed up.

"You stuffed a dress into a backpack? Only you, Kristy."

"It's the Tomboy dress from Title 9 Sports. The catalog copy actually says you can stuff it in the bottom of a bag."

I laughed. "I'm glad you decided to come, Kristy. I thought you weren't going to."

"Well, you know, it sure was tempting to go back to Stoneybrook and live in a house with four teenagers. But in the end I decided you and Dawn were right. If I'm going to get on with my life, I need a change of scenery. Maybe if I'm not around all the places that remind me of Cary, I'll get over him. Surfer boys, here I come!" She raised her coffee cup in the air for a toast.

"I'll drink to that," I said, raising my own cup.

"So you're up for meeting some surfer boys? That doesn't seem like your type, Mary Anne."

Uh oh. We were entering sensitive territory, here. "Really?" I asked casually. What is my type?"

"You know. Sensitive. Quiet. Emotional."

"Kristy, you just described Clay Aiken."

"You know what I mean. You've never been interested in that type. Most of the guys you've dated aren't exactly the athletic sort."

"Well maybe I'm tired of _my type_. Maybe I want someone strong and manly. What would you say to that?" _Please don't let her see through me_, I prayed.

"I'd say I'm the last person who should be dishing out the romantic advice," Kristy sighed. "I'm sure there are more than enough surfers to go around."

"Excuse me." A teenaged kid tapped me on the shoulder. "I hate to break up your little reunion, but we're boarding."

"Thanks," I said. I grabbed my bag and we got in line behind the kid.

Kristy and I spent the four hour flight to San José gossiping about people we knew from home and making plans for the summer. She decided she wanted to get to San Francisco to see a Giants game. "Maybe we can spend a couple of days there. I've always wanted to see Alcatraz."

"Alcatraz has a night tour that's supposed to be really great," I said. "And I wouldn't mind exploring the city. You know, Lombard Street holds the record for being the world's crookedest street." My friends make fun of me for my photographic memory when it comes to recalling information I've read in tour guides, but I can't help it. I think being so sheltered when I was younger gave me my love of cities and exploring new places.

"How do you think Dawn is doing?" Kristy asked. "She doesn't tell you very much about herself when she talks to you, does she?"

"I think Dawn is just one of those people who assumes she talks to you more than she does, so when she does actually call she leaves out all the important details because she assumes you already know them. Between my dad and Sharon, Jeff, and I, we've managed to figure out that she's not going back to school and is teaching Pilates classes. She got arrested last year for getting too close the the governor when she was protesting his environmental policies at a speech he was giving. That's pretty much the latest."

"Doesn't Dawn know that the Terminator is the last person you want to piss off? Mary Anne, you and your father married into Crazy."

"Yeah, but she's letting us stay with her this summer, so you can't go calling her that to her face. And Sharon and Jeff aren't crazy. Sure, Sharon's scatterbrained and Jeff's your typical frat boy, but that's normal. Dawn's the only one who's taken up residence in Crazy Town."

"Well, you know what they say. California's the land of fruits and nuts."

And pretty soon, we would be among them.


	4. Chapter 4: Kristy

**Kristy**

When we got off the plane in California, Mary Anne and I made our way to the baggage claim, although Mary Anne was the only one who had checked bags. I just had a carryon. It wasn't like I wouldn't be able to do laundry.

As we approached baggage claim, I spotted a familiar figure. Tall, tan and blond, Dawn always made me and Mary Anne look like members of a different species. She waved and jogged up to us.

"Hi! How was the flight?" Dawn hugged Mary Anne first, then me. "Your bags are going to baggage claim four. How many do you have?"

"Just mine," Mary Anne said. "Kristy just brought that."

"Good thinking. When you travel as much as I have, checking bags becomes overrated. Did you have anything to eat on the plane? We can stop for lunch on the way to the house."

"That sounds good," I said. Mary Anne didn't seem to be paying attention; she'd whipped out her cell phone and was talking with her back to us.

"So, how are things, Kristy? I think the last time I saw you was when I was home for Christmas three years ago."

"Well, I know Mary Anne told you that Cary and I broke up. I just quit my job at the Y. I guess I'm kind of at a crossroads. At this point I don't even know if I'm going back to Chicago after the summer."

"I don't blame you," Dawn said. "I never understood how you could live in a place where it snows so much."

"Well, I _am_ from Connecticut," I reminded her. "It snows there, too."

"Maybe so, but when you've spent your whole life in California anyplace east of Texas seems extreme. Well, at least you're here for the summer."

Mary Anne had finished her phone call and was scanning the belt for her suitcase.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked.

"Um. Just a friend in Boston. I was supposed to call when we got here safely."

"A _friend_?" Dawn raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Tell us, Mary Anne, was it _just_ a friend?"

Mary Anne shot a look at Dawn. "Yes, Dawn," she said coolly.

"Hey, Mary Anne, I think that's your bag." I spotted her familiar olive green suitcase with cat-shaped luggage tag dangling from the handle. Mary Anne sprinted over to get it.

"Has Mary Anne mentioned to _you_ if she's seeing anyone?" Dawn asked.

"No. In fact, we were just talking about how she wants to meet some surfers while she's here."

"Oh. I guess I must have misunderstood something she told me earlier. But you're her best friend. You're _sure_ she's not seeing anybody?"

I wasn't sure what game Dawn was playing, but I decided to ignore it. I didn't want to start our vacation on the wrong foot by getting in the middle of whatever might be going on between Mary Anne and Dawn. "I'm sure," I said again. "Now let's get out of here. I'm starving."

We followed Dawn out to the parking lot and to a silver Toyota Prius. The vanity plate on the back had a picture of a whale on it and said, "FUR KILZ." Dawn pressed a button on her key ring and the trunk popped open. "Nice wheels," I said. I wondered exactly how much money a Pilates instructor made.

"Thanks!" Dawn said brightly. "I kind of need a car to get around, but just couldn't bring myself to contribute to the destruction of the environment. So my dad helped me get this. It's not ideal, but I feel better about driving, now. Just put your bags in the trunk."

I tossed my backpack into the trunk. "Shotgun!" I called, and ran to the passenger seat while Mary Anne was still struggling to put her suitcase in the back. Finally, we were all ready and Dawn navigated us out of airport parking and onto the road.

"It's just a short drive to Santa Cruz. The place we're staying is right on the beach, but I thought I'd take you through downtown. There's a café there where we can get a bite to eat."

"As long as they serve more than tofu and alfalfa sprouts," I said. Dawn is a vegetarian and never lets us forget it. Back in middle school she occasionally ate chicken, but she's been pretty hard core for awhile now. Mary Anne said the last time they had Thanksgiving dinner together Dawn cooked a tofu turkey and insisted everyone try it. For some reason, Dawn also refuses to eat junk food or drink soda. I still haven't figured out what that has to do with vegetarianism or saving the planet.

"You can get meat there, if you must. But I recommend their tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwich. Even a carnivore like you, Kristy, will appreciate it."

Although I'd never been to the Central Coast, I'd been to Southern California a couple of times. As we drove through Santa Cruz, I quickly realized that it was nothing like LA. It was a much more eclectic crowd. The people we passed on the streets had piercings, tattoos, multi-colored hair…Even the middle aged people I saw seemed to have embraced the hippie lifestyle. Of course, certain areas of Chicago attracted a variety of lifestyles so this was nothing new, but it was a far cry from conservative little Stoneybrook and image-conscious Southern California. No wonder Dawn had settled here.

"Is that…is that couple smoking marijuana?" Mary Anne pointed out the window at a teenage couple who were, in fact, passing a joint.

"Relax, Mary Anne," Dawn said. "And for God's sake, don't point. That kind of thing goes on here. You went to college, it's not like you haven't seen it before."

"Not in the middle of the street in broad daylight! And I really haven't technically _seen_ it. Have you, Kristy?"

"I went to college on a softball scholarship. Getting caught with illegal substances would have gotten me kicked out. But…do you want to hear some good gossip?"

"I'm always up for gossip," Dawn said.

"Karen got kicked out of Camp Mohawk last summer for packing pot in her suitcase."

"No _way_!" Dawn exclaimed.

"I thought it was just beer and cigarettes," Mary Anne said.

"No, she and Margo Pike scored some pot from Buddy Barrett and Karen was keeping it all inside a hollow book. I guess Claudia babysat for them one too many times. Hey, how'd you know about that, anyway?" I was the only person Sam had told the real reason Karen had been sent home early; we'd told the rest of the younger kids and Mom and Watson that she'd been sent home with a bad case of poison ivy. I really didn't know why Sam had agreed to keep her secret. Maybe he just believed she deserved a second chance.

"Sam told me about it the last time we had drinks. Wow. I can't believe little Karen Brewer and Margo Pike are stoners." Mary Anne got a sad look on her face.

"Or that Buddy Barrett is their dealer! Kristy, what other stuff do you know?" Dawn was getting very excited. I hoped she wouldn't drive off the road. As it turned out, she swerved onto a side street and parked the car. "This is it," she announced. We went into the small sandwich shop and ordered our food (we all ended up getting the sandwich Dawn had recommended), then took it to a table outside.

"Okay," Dawn said as soon as we were seated. "Gossip!" For someone who had lived in Stoneybrook for such a short time, she sure was interested in what was going on. "Do you ever hear from any of the other girls from the BSC?"

Mary Anne and I glanced at each other. Neither of us had stayed in close contact with the other girls, but we occasionally heard things through the grapevine.

"Well," I started. "My mom saw Mrs. Kishi at a city council meeting awhile back. Claud tried a couple of semesters at the junior college, but it just didn't work out. She moved to LA a couple of years ago to go to the Fashion Institute…"

"God help us all," Dawn interrupted. Claudia's fashion sense had been a little eccentric, to put it mildly. The only person I could even imagine wearing a Claudia Kishi original—other than Claudia herself—was Gwen Stefani.

"Anyway, Mrs. Kishi said Claudia is actually designing T-shirts with her own artwork on them. She calls her line Mimi, and she sells them for $60.00 in boutiques and at street fairs. I guess she's starting to do pretty well. And I know Mallory Pike is at Stoneybrook University after two years at Community. All the college-age Pikes are. I guess when you're a Pike, there's not enough money to send everyone away. I think the deal was they had to finance their own education or stay local."

"That makes sense." Dawn said.

"Jessi Ramsey is at NYU," Mary Anne said. "She and Stacey were in the same sorority. I used to meet them in the city occasionally, but I've kind of lost touch with both of them. The last I heard, Jessi was majoring in English and had given up ballet for ballroom dance. She was placing pretty high in competitions, too. Stacey got a job at an investment bank after graduation."

"And Abby Stevenson went to ASU on a soccer scholarship," I finished. "I guess she likes the warm weather like you, Dawn. She never comes home, although I occasionally see Anna when I'm in town. She says Abby is really happy out there and wants to try out for the USA soccer team. Right now she coaches club soccer for teenagers."

We all became silent. Mary Anne and I looked at each other and snickered. I once heard that every seven minutes conversation stops completely. I told Mary Anne about it, so now whenever the Seven Minute Silence occurs we can't help but notice. Dawn looked at us like we were crazy.

"Well," Dawn said, as she crumpled up her sandwich wrapper and put the cap back on her bottled water. "Are you ready to go see the house?"


	5. Chapter 5: Mary Anne

The house we were staying at was right on the beach. Upon our arrival, Dawn had given us a tour of the house and shown us the guest rooms in which Kristy and I would be staying. Both of our rooms were upstairs; my room opened out onto a balcony, while Kristy had chosen the small alcove with a porthole window that looked onto the beach. We were sharing a bathroom. Dawn had the downstairs master suite to herself. In addition to the bedrooms, living room and kitchen, there was a deck with a hot tub and lounge chairs off of the first floor. Dawn said she spent a lot of time out there when she wanted to be outside but away from the beach crowds.

The first thing Kristy did after the grand tour was raid the refrigerator and announce that we had to go to the store to get some real food, so Dawn drove us to the nearest grocery store so we could buy what she referred to as poison: Chicken breasts and hot dogs, luncheon meat, non-organic cereal, ice cream and a case of Dr Pepper. We'd spent the rest of the day and evening hanging out at the house and catching up. Kristy and I had both gone to bed early; between the time change and the traveling, we were exhausted.

On Sunday morning I woke to the digitized strains of U2's "Beautiful Day" issuing from my cell phone. "This is your morning wakeup call," Sam said when I answered. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great. I can hear the ocean outside my window. It's really soothing. It would be nicer if you were here, though. What do you have planned for today?"

"Not much. I'll do some studying, maybe go to the gym later. A couple of the guys are coming over to watch the game this afternoon. What's going on over there?"

"I don't know yet. Dawn gave us the grand tour yesterday. She has today off, but we didn't really make plans." Dawn could be kind of laid back about things like that. It drove Kristy crazy.

"Well, have fun. Send me a postcard."

"You, too. Have fun, I mean. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Sam and I hung up, and I took a quick shower before heading downstairs. Dawn was at the kitchen table with a mug of tea and the newspaper. "Kristy went for a run," she said. "Want some tea?"

"Thanks," I said. I took the mug Dawn had left out for me and filled it with the green tea Dawn had brewed.

"So," Dawn said when I sat down. "Why haven't you told Kristy about you and Sam?"

The reason I hadn't told Kristy about me and Sam was complicated. Kristy's jealousy was not one of her more positive traits. It had taken her quite awhile to accept Dawn as my friend when Dawn had first come to Stoneybrook. And when we were little kids…I still remembered summers spent playing with kids in the neighborhood—me and Kristy, Sam and Charlie, Claudia and Janine Kishi and other neighborhood kids. Although Kristy and Claudia and I had been the youngest on the block, even then Kristy had attempted to take charge. I remembered the way she would go off and pout when she didn't get her way. I especially remembered the way she would get angry if I spent too much time with Sam or Charlie instead of her. Like the time, when we were five and Sam was seven, Kristy had wanted to roller skate and Sam and I had wanted to go to the park. She had stormed off in a huff and ignored us for the rest of the day. We'd all grown up and matured, but I still feared that my being with Sam might cause a permanent rift between me and Kristy.

I also worried about putting Kristy in a position where she might be forced to take sides in the event Sam and I broke up. Then there was her recent cynical attitude toward romance. Sam and I had started dating shortly after her breakup with Cary. I'd known it would hurt her if she knew I was happily involved with anyone, let alone her brother. But, if I was really being honest with myself, the number one reason I hadn't been able to tell Kristy was because I was too embarrassed. Not that being with Sam himself was embarrassing. Just the thought of trying to explain it. So we didn't say anything. And didn't say anything. And now we were in a hole that seemed too difficult to dig out of.

I tried explaining all of this to Dawn, who just sat there with a smug look on her face.

"Don't you think Kristy would be excited and happy for the two of you? You're her best friend."

"Dawn, I know _you_ have no problem with being direct, but try to put yourself in my shoes. If you were me, would you really find it all that easy to tell Kristy you've been sleeping with her brother? It was bad enough telling our parents. Dad still hasn't forgotten about the time he caught Sam and Charlie spying on him."

"Wait, I haven't heard that one. What the heck?"

"Yeah, it was when they were in middle school. They thought Dad was really weird. I guess they used to look in the windows and watch Dad vacuum straight lines into the carpet and straighten the pillows on the couch."

"Your dad _is_ pretty weird," Dawn said. "But I don't know why you're so embarrassed. It's not like you have to introduce the concept by telling her you've been getting it on with Sam. Tact is one of your strong suits, Mary Anne."

"I know…" I fidgeted with my mug.

"You need to tell her. I feel like I'm living in a house of lies. I have to watch everything I say around her. Just get it over with."

"It _would_ make things a lot easier," I agreed. "I'll talk to Sam about it, first. It was kind of something we wanted to do together."

Before Dawn could reply, we heard the front door bang and Kristy bounded into the kitchen, apparently energized after her run. "You have to come running with me tomorrow morning, Mary Anne. It's awesome." Kristy's cheeks were flushed and her short hair was slipping out of its ponytail. She actually looked better than I'd seen her in a long time. Maybe a change of scenery was exactly what she had needed.

"You'll have to go slow for me," I said. "I don't know if I can keep up with you."

"Oh, shut up. Sam told me you guys go jogging together. If you can keep up with him, you can keep up with me."

Dawn kicked me under the table. But I had resolved not to tell Kristy until I had talked to Sam. Kristy, oblivious, rambled on. "I'm going to shower, then maybe we can hit the beach. You guys game?"

"Sounds good," Dawn said. "We can spend the morning at the beach, then play the rest of the day by ear." I nodded in agreement.

"Great!" Kristy said. "I'll be down in a few." She jogged upstairs to the bathroom we shared.

"Coward," Dawn mumbled. I looked into my cup of tea and wished there was some easy way to get out of the situation I'd gotten myself into.


	6. Chapter 6: Kristy

**Kristy**

Running on the beach was such a release. In Chicago I often ran along Lake Michigan, but there was just something different about the feel of sand hitting the backs of my calves, the mist of salt water on my face with every light breeze. Running in the sand proved to be more of a workout than I'd expected, and by the time I'd finished my six miles my calves were burning. Still, I felt alive. I resolved to face the summer and whatever it brought with a positive attitude.

When I got back to the house, Mary Anne and Dawn were sitting at the breakfast table drinking tea. We decided to spend the day on the beach, so I went upstairs to shower and get ready. When I came downstairs Mary Anne and Dawn were also dressed for the beach and ready to go. Mary Anne wore a tankini with a matching sarong, a Red Sox cap, and sunglasses. She carried a huge canvas bag stuffed with SPF 50, her towel and her book. Dawn was wearing a two-piece with big, Hawaiian flowers splashed across it. I myself had thrown an old SHS T-shirt over my standard navy blue Speedo, which I wore for doing laps. "Do you have a volleyball or a Frisbee or something?" I asked Dawn.

"I have one outside the front door. Good idea. We can set up near one of the nets. Although I don't suppose you'll want to play, Mary Anne."

"Nope. I'll just sit and watch, maybe document everything with a few pictures."

"Aw, you're no fun," I said. "Come on, Dawn, I'll race you to the beach." I took off at a sprint, but slowed when I realized I was the only one running.

After setting up our stuff, Dawn and I claimed a volleyball net and began passing it back and forth. Mary Anne sat on her towel reading her book and occasionally glancing up at us.

"You girls want some competition?" Two guys, probably not more than eighteen, approached us.

Dawn caught the ball and held it. "I'm up for a game. You game, Kristy?"

"You know I am. Prepare to get your butts kicked by a couple of girls," I told the taller of the two.

"Ooh, I'm scared," he said, but he laughed. "I'm Tom. This is Kyle." Tom was easily six-three, with surfer-God blond hair and the body of a soccer player. Kyle was a few inches shorter and darker—he looked like he might be half-Asian—with a body just as spectacular as his friend's.

Dawn joined me on my side of the net, and soon we were involved in a heated match with our new friends. We found out that Tom and Kyle were, in fact, nineteen and students at UC Davis. They were staying at Tom's parents' place a few houses down from ours. We played two games, with Dawn and me taking one and the guys taking the other. Then we changed up the teams, and Tom and I narrowly beat Dawn and Kyle. By this time it was noon and we were all starving.

"You're pretty good for a girl," Tom said admiringly "Especially a _short_ girl."

"I have four brothers," I said. "I've learned to hold my own." I had to crane my neck to look Tom in the eye. It was almost comical. If he'd wanted to, he could have thrown me over his shoulder pirate-style.

"You guys have plans for tonight?" Kyle asked. "We were thinking of going to the Boardwalk."

"Do you have a friend for our friend?" I asked. I nodded in Mary Anne's direction.

"Aidan will probably be up for it. She's cute, looks like his type."

"Anything that _breathes_ is Aidan's type," Kyle observed.

"Aidan is out surfing right now," Tom said. "He lives with us, too, though."

"Well," I said brightly, "Mary Anne said she wanted to meet a surfer. It sounds like a good time. You want to meet us about five at our place? We're the house right over there."

"Sounds good. We'll see you tonight." Tom winked at me. Dawn and I said goodbye and jogged back to Mary Anne.

"Mary Anne! We have dates tonight." I plopped down next to Mary Anne on her towel.

Mary Anne blanched. "Dates?"

"Kind of," Dawn amended. "They're, like, nineteen. But they're fun to hang out with, and they invited us to go to the Boardwalk with them."

"Oh," Mary Anne said. "Well, I guess it could be fun."

"For someone who was just yesterday talking about meeting surfers, you don't sound very enthusiastic," I said. "He _is_ a surfer, by the way. Don't know what he looks like, but if he looks anything like his friends that's a good thing."

Mary Anne smiled—I could tell it was forced. "Sounds good."

What was up with Mary Anne? She was still a little timid around new people, but it had been a long time since she'd been this weird about meeting a new guy. Oh, well. It had been a long time since _I'd_ been this excited about meeting a new guy. I knew Tom was only nineteen, but he was nice and fun. I doubted anything would come of it, but I decided it could be fun to have a summer fling.


	7. Chapter 7: Mary Anne

**Mary Anne**

What had I gotten myself into? I knew I only had myself to blame for getting roped into a date with a guy who was friends with the guys Dawn and Kristy had met on the beach. If I had been honest with Kristy about my relationship with Sam, I wouldn't be getting ready for a date with a guy I didn't even know. Dawn and Kristy had assured me that it was just for fun, but it just didn't feel right to go out with another guy. I couldn't back out now, though.

"You don't need to get dressed up. It's just the Boardwalk," Dawn told me. I'd taken her advice and chosen a pair of khaki capris and a pink tank top. A little after five there was a knock on the door and we met all three guys on the step.

Aidan, my date, was the shortest of the three. His blond hair curled around his ears in a shaggy, grown out look that had "surfer" written all over it. He wore jeans, flip flops, and an Abercrombie T-shirt. Not my type. Not my type at all. I smiled. "Hi. I'm Mary Anne."

Aidan shook my hand. "Aidan. Nice to meet you. I guess our friends really hit it off this morning."

"Yeah," I said. "It looked like they were having a good time." We followed Dawn and Kyle, who were leading the way to the Boardwalk, which was within walking distance. Behind us, I could hear Kristy and Tom chattering away.

"It must have been pretty embarrassing to get beat by a couple of chicks. I wish I could have been there to see it," Aidan said.

"From what I saw," I said "it was a pretty impressive game. Dawn grew up on the beach and learned to play there, and Kristy is just a tomboy. She went to college on a softball scholarship. So yeah, they're tougher than they look."

"And what about you? Are you athletic?"

I laughed. "Hardly. I like to go jogging, and I take a spinning class at the gym, but I stay away from anything that requires coordination. Kristy told me you're a surfer. Have you been at it long?"

Aidan, apparently, had grown up in Santa Cruz and had been entering competitions since he was a little kid. He regaled me with tales of places he'd been and competitions he'd won during our entire walk to the Boardwalk.

There was no admission fee to enter the Boardwalk, but we had to buy tickets for the rides. We ended up getting enough tickets for the major rides, including the Giant Dipper, an old wooden rollercoaster that the guys insisted was one of the best wooden coasters ever. Even Dawn agreed, though she noted that nothing would ever be as good as Space Mountain.

"Are you kidding?" Kyle asked. "Space Mountain doesn't even go upside-down."

"Yeah, but there's nothing like the thrill of riding a fast rollercoaster in the dark," Dawn said.

"Well, why don't we stop talking about it and see for ourselves," Kristy suggested. She and Tom led the way to the Giant Dipper. It _was_ a pretty good ride, complete with a spectacular view of the Pacific from the top, but I couldn't help but wish it were Sam sitting next to me instead of some kid I barely knew. We went on a few more rides, including an incredibly romantic carousel built in 1911, and then decided to break for dinner. There were several food stalls along the Boardwalk. Unfortunately, none of them seemed to please Dawn.

"French fries. Corn dogs. Fried fish. How can you possibly eat that junk?" she sniffed as we checked out the offerings.

"Relax, it's the Boardwalk. It's okay to eat junk food here. No, it's _expected_ to eat junk food here," Tom said.

"She's a vegetarian," Kristy said.

"Well, I'm sure you can find something to eat," Tom told Dawn.

Dawn made do with a bowl of stir fried vegetables and rice. The rest of us lived it up and got hot dogs and fries. Perfect Boardwalk food. "I can feel my arteries hardening already," Kristy taunted Dawn.

"That's not even _pig _you're eating," Dawn lectured. "That's pig _parts_. Not to mention cow parts and chicken parts…"

"Is she always like this?" Aidan whispered to me, although he needn't have bothered with subterfuge. When Dawn got going, she was oblivious to those around her.

"Usually she's worse," I admitted. Kristy nodded in agreement. "If you ignore her she'll eventually stop," I added.

After we ate we went to the candy store and watched the teenaged employees pull saltwater taffy. Tom and Aidan both bought bags of the fresh candy, which they shared with me and Kristy as we continued to meander the strip. Tom and Kristy seemed to be getting pretty chummy. They had been flirting all night and were walking very close together. "I want to go on the Cave Train," Kristy announced. Dawn rolled her eyes. The Cave Train was apparently a glow-in-the-dark train ride complete with animatronic cave men and dinosaurs.

"Maybe we should split up," I diplomatically suggested. I wasn't too keen on riding the Cave Train, either. Tom and Kristy headed for the train, while Dawn and Kyle went off in search of more thrill rides.

"What do you want to do?" Aidan asked me.

"I'd kind of like to go on the Skygliders," I said, pointing at the overhead buckets that hung from a wire and slowly transported riders from one end of the Boardwalk to the other.

"Good choice," Aidan said. We found the ride entrance and were soon hanging above the ground in a bright pink bucket. The view of the ocean from so far up, coupled with the lights that were just beginning to come on, was awesome. I sighed, and again wished it was Sam here with me instead.

Maybe it was the romantic mood of the Boardwalk—or maybe he genuinely liked me—but before I knew what was happening Aidan leaned in toward me and our lips made contact. Surprised, I jumped away, putting as much distance between us as was possible in our bucket built for two.

"Dude, sorry," Aidan said. "I thought we were cool." He looked genuinely confused. I guessed he wasn't used to rejection from girls.

I could feel my cheeks flush. "I'm sorry," I said. "You're a really nice guy, Aidan. It's just that I have a boyfriend in Boston. I'm not looking for a summer fling."

"Hey, that's cool," Aidan said. "We can still have fun. Friends only. Unless you have one of those open relationships. You're cute and nice, I don't mind standing in for the guy."

"It's definitely not an open relationship," I said. "Though I am flattered by your offer. I guess." Actually, I found his offer rather skeevy, but I reminded myself he was a nineteen year old guy. I smiled to show there were no hard feelings.

"Whatever. It's cool." The rest of the ride passed in complete silence.

When we met back up with the others, the guys invited us back to their place to drink and watch _Happy Gilmore_. I was pretty sure Kristy wanted to, but she could tell Dawn and I were ready to call it a night. As we said goodbye, Aidan caught me in a friendly hug. "I meant what I said," he whispered in my ear. "If you ever want to hook up, I'm just down the beach."

"Thanks. I'll, um, remember that," I said as politely as possible. As soon as we got home I went to my room and did what I'd wanted to do all night: I called Sam.


	8. Chapter 8: Kristy

**Kristy**

It was hard to believe, but Mary Anne and I had been in Santa Cruz for a month. For the most part, we'd been having a great time. Dawn's work schedule was kind of sporadic—she taught group Pilates classes twice a day during the week and also scheduled private classes—so Mary Anne and I had taken advantage of her schedule to take a few day trips. Somehow I doubted Dawn would have been interested in joining us on our trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I could just see her getting arrested for trying to liberate the fish.

I'd also been spending quite a bit of time with Tom, although our relationship was definitely on the "just friends" side of things. I knew Mary Anne and Dawn thought there was something more going on between us, but Tom and I had settled into a brother-sister type relationship. I know people say I'm immature for my age, but I just wasn't sure I wanted my rebound relationship to be with a guy who could have once been one of my babysitting charges. Tom was teaching me to surf, a sport I found I would miss when I returned home—wherever I decided home would be after this summer.

During our month in California, I had been scouring the Internet and calling contacts I'd made in the non-profit world for job leads. I had sent my resume to a few places, but my heart really wasn't in it. Not for the first time, I wondered if I was having a quarter life crisis. Maybe playing college softball and graduating early and being in a serious relationship while starting my career had been too much, too soon. I wished I could be more like Dawn. Her lack of motivation to have a real career suddenly seemed refreshing. I knew I would have to make a decision about my future soon. The summer was flying by—we'd already left June behind.

For the Fourth of July, we had invited Tom, Kyle and Aidan over to our place for a barbecue. The evening before, Mary Anne and I finally got around to shopping for the food (well, _our_ food—Dawn was in charge of the tofu burgers and organic ice cream). The store was crowded, full of other last minute shoppers. When we finally made it out an hour later with our burgers, hot dogs, chips, salsa and refreshments, the night was still young. "You up for some pool?" I asked Mary Anne as we drove past a bar Tom had introduced us to.

"Sure." I still couldn't get over how much Mary Anne had changed since graduating from high school, and especially in the past few years. There had been a time when I would have expected Mary Anne to fall into a dead faint upon setting foot in a bar, and don't even get me started on how surprised I was to find out she was a more than decent pool player. We'd beat Tom and Kyle three weekends in a row.

I pulled out my cell and called Tom. He and Kyle agreed to meet us at the bar. Mary Anne and I got drinks while we waited for them to arrive. Twenty minutes later my cell buzzed.

"It's Tom. They won't let us in. Can you come meet us outside?" I rolled my eyes at Mary Anne and nodded toward the door. She sighed and we got up.

"I told you guys you were flirting with disaster." I shook my head at Tom. "Pretty soon the bouncer was going to realize you aren't a 28-year old Hispanic guy named Fernando."

"Well, it took him long enough," Tom grumbled. "The only reason they're cracking down is because it's a holiday weekend."

"We can go to our place instead," Mary Anne suggested. "We bought some beer for tomorrow, but we can always go back to the store if we run out."

Mary Anne and I got back into the car and dove back to our place. "Dawn must be home," I said as we pulled into the drive. The kitchen lights were on. We hadn't expected her home so early. She'd had her weekly staff meeting and dinner after work. I wasn't sure what a group of Pilates and yoga instructors and a masseuse did at a staff meeting, but Dawn usually got home late on the nights they met.

The guys parked behind us and we all trooped into the kitchen, arms laden with groceries. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to see, but a naked man—sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper with a slice of pizza in front of him—certainly wasn't at the top of my list.

I dropped the bag of groceries I was carrying and grabbed the nearest thing that could be used as a weapon, which happened to be a silicone potholder. "Get out! This is private property! Are you high? Mary Anne, call the police!" Naked Guy seemed to be saying something—his lips were moving—but I couldn't hear him above all the yelling. When he finally leaped out of the chair—hands covering his head to prevent further potholder-inflicted damage—Tom and Kyle rushed him and pinned him against the wall. Mary Anne had retreated to a corner. She looked about ready to cry.

"You have three seconds to explain yourself or we're calling the cops!" I waved the potholder menacingly. The intruder opened his mouth again to speak when Dawn, wearing a Japanese kimono, appeared in the doorway.

"Kristy! Leave him alone! It's okay. Guys, let him go."

"You _know_ this guy?" I couldn't have masked the surprise in my voice if I tried. Though, if I thought about it, it wasn't really a surprise that Dawn would befriend a naked guy who reeked of marijuana.

"This is my partner, Tree," Dawn said. As if that explained everything.

"Are you a Pilates instructor, too?"

"Kristy, don't be daft. Tree is my life partner." She flashed a toothy smile at Naked Guy.

"You mean he's your _husband_?" I asked. I don't know what was more shocking: That Dawn was married, that her husband's name was Tree, or that he appeared to be about 35 years old.

"Kristy," Tree said, "we prefer the term 'partner.' 'Husband' and 'wife' are outdated terms, created by our patriarchal society, that box men and women into stereotypical roles. They enforce unrealistic expectations, which ultimately lead to the breakup of many marriages. Dawn and I believe ours is a union in which we're equal partners."

Great. Dawn had found the only man on the planet who was as patronizing and condescending as she.

"Wow. That's a bombshell." I seemed to be the only other person who could speak. Tom and Kyle had slowly inched their way to the door. They obviously weren't intending to stick around. Across the room, Mary Anne still looked weepy.

"You – you got married and didn't tell anybody?"

"I'm sorry, Mary Anne. We wanted to keep things simple. Only Sunny, Asante and our priest were there."

I was willing to bet their "priest" wasn't Catholic.

"But we have some beautiful photos that we'd like to share with you," Tree invited.

"How could you invite us to spend the summer with you and not tell us you're married?" I demanded. "Don't you think we might have wanted to know that you have a husband who wanders around naked? By the way, I'm not sitting in that chair ever again."

"_Dawn_?" One. Two. Three. There it was. A single tear began to roll down Mary Anne's face.

Dawn sighed. "I think we'd better discuss this in private," she said to Tree. "Do you mind waiting for me in the bedroom?" Tree, in all his unclothed glory, gave Dawn a quick hug and left the room. Tom and Kyle also took the opportunity to finally make their exit.

"Well!" Dawn said brightly—too brightly, in my opinion. "I guess I have a few things to tell you about."


	9. Chapter 9: Mary Anne

**Mary Anne**

Dawn, Kristy and I stood in the kitchen. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Actually, I could believe it. This wasn't the first time Dawn had pulled a stunt like this. For as long as I'd known Dawn, she'd taken the most dramatic path. This—a secret marriage—was in keeping with the way she'd always lived her life. But knowing this didn't take away the hurt I felt. What's more, she didn't even seem to think she'd done anything wrong.

"Tree was on a camping trip with some friends," Dawn explained. "They were supposed to be gone for the whole summer—it was one of those survival things—but one of the guys broke his leg and they had to come back. I'm sorry I didn't warn you; I didn't know until he got here that he was coming home."

"Wait a minute. Back up the truck. Is that all you're going to say? How about some sort of explanation for all of this? Don't you think it would have been nice to tell us about _Tree_ before we found him—all of him—sitting in our kitchen?" Kristy looked angry.

"His kitchen," Dawn corrected. "It's his kitchen." Dawn took a seat at the table. "When I told you I was house sitting for a friend, I wasn't lying. This is Tree's house. We met when I was in his rain forest class at UCSC when I went back for a semester last year. He teaches in the Ecology department."

"Well, that explains why he's so old," Kristy muttered. "You weren't seeing him when you were his student, were you?"

"Relax. We didn't start seeing each other until after I left school. We just had this immediate spiritual connection. We're passionate about so many of the same things. He just has this intense vibe and energy." Dawn actually looked dreamy. "I moved in with him last summer. Before he left for his camping trip he and I decided to join souls."

I thought I heard Kristy snort. Dawn was still beaming. Suddenly, I was angry. How could Dawn just do this and expect us to be happy for her when she'd excluded us from everything related to her relationship with Tree? I took a deep breath to keep my tears at bay. "Were you ever going to tell us?" I asked. "If Tree hadn't unexpectedly come home? Or were you just going to keep this part of your life a secret forever?"

"I planned to tell everyone when I thought you could handle it," Dawn said. "I don't expect all of you to understand our relationship, and I didn't feel like dealing with the negative reactions I knew you and my parents would have."

Unbelievable. I didn't understand how a person so selfless when it came to so many things could treat her family and friends in such a way. So many times I had chalked her behavior up to her being an individual. I'd thought I was just being sensitive when she had hurt me time and again. Now I realized she just plain didn't care. "Dawn, you claim to be so concerned and tuned in to the world, but you're really just a selfish person!" I accused. "Why do you always have to put the dumb animals or the environment ahead of your family and friends? Didn't you think about your parents would feel, how _I_ would feel, when we found out you got married? Dawn, it nearly killed your mom when you left Stoneybrook to come back here. Do you know how much she was looking forward to seeing you get married someday?"

Dawn turned on me, eyes blazing. "Why? She has you to be her perfect daughter, it's not like she won't totally miss out on being mother of the bride. Speaking of which, you're not exactly one to be preaching about honesty. When are you going to tell Kristy about Sam?"

"What?" Kristy's eyes darted from Dawn to me. "Mary Anne, is something going on with Sam?"

"Oh, Kristy, Mary Anne and Sam have been together for like a year," Dawn snapped. "God, I can't believe you haven't figured it out. Everyone knows. They're shacked up together back in Boston."

"Mary Anne?" I saw a hurt look flash across Kristy's face. "You and Sam?"

"Kristy, we were going to tell you--"

"They were _afraid_ to tell you," Dawn interrupted.

"Nice way to deflect the attention away from yourself," I mumbled."

"Mary Anne? Is Dawn telling the truth?" Kristy's eyes locked with mine and I couldn't look away. I nodded slightly.

"She's telling the truth. Kristy, we've wanted to tell you. We just didn't know how you would react."

Kristy seemed to be shaking. "You're _living_ together? For how long? How could you not tell me?"

I didn't have a good explanation. Suddenly, all the reasons Sam and I had been keeping our relationship a secret seemed dumb. Maybe they always had been.

"I don't know." I moved toward Kristy, but she backed away.

"I need to get out. I can't think in here. I can't be in a house of lies." Kristy stomped upstairs. Dawn and I, shocked into silence, didn't move until Kristy returned a few minutes later. She was dressed in her running clothes and a Chicago White Sox cap.

"Where are you going?" Dawn called.

"Running."

"At this hour?"

The slamming of the door answered Dawn's question.

"Dawn, why do you do it?" I asked. "All of it. The constant moves from coast to coast when we were younger, dropping out of college, the protests and arrests, this marriage…Are you looking for attention? Is regular life too boring for you? Are _we_—your family and friends--too boring for you? I don't understand."

Dawn sighed. "Mary Anne, I don't know what you want. You know this is how I live my life. I don't do things to make anybody else happy. I do what feels right."

"But sometimes, Dawn, what feels right for you ends up hurting a lot of other people. Your mom and my dad, your dad and Carol, me and Jeff and Gracie. We all care about you. You said we wouldn't understand your relationship with Tree, but you didn't even give us a chance."

"_Do_ you understand my relationship with Tree?"

"Not really, no. I just found out about it. But if this makes you happy, then I can be happy for you. Are you happy?"

Dawn smiled. "Yes. I'm really, really happy."

I was almost afraid to ask my next question. "Do you think this is forever?" I'd seen the way she'd been flirting with Kyle all summer.

"I don't know. I know I'm happy right now. Tree and I don't necessarily believe that there's one person for everybody. We believe humans are meant to be with multiple partners, that each relationship reveals something profound about oneself. Is that a good enough answer?"

It was as good as I was going to get out of Dawn. I was struck again at how different my stepsister and I were. I believed in monogamy. I believed in "Until death do us part." I wanted a big wedding in a church with all my family and friends in attendance. I believed in honesty.

Except, as Dawn had pointed out, I hadn't been so honest about my own relationship with one of the people who mattered the most to me and Sam. I had no right to lecture Dawn.

"I don't always understand you," I said, "but you know I love you. And so do your parents. I think you need to tell them sooner rather than later. You might want to leave out all the stuff about multiple partners and soul connections, though."

"Are you still mad?"

I was hurt. I knew I would be hurt for awhile. I was hurt that Dawn hadn't felt close enough to confide in me, that I wouldn't have the chance to stand up for her in her wedding. But Dawn needed my support right now, so I resolved to put on a happy face. I would keep my feelings about this marriage to myself—or maybe share them with Kristy later, if she was still speaking to me.

"I'm happy that you're happy," I said. "Congratulations. We'll have to celebrate. We can all go out to dinner next week—your choice. My treat."

"Thanks, Mary Anne." Dawn got up and hugged me. "I love you." We pulled apart. Dawn really did look happy. "I'm going to bed. Tree is waiting. I'll introduce you properly in the morning, after we've all slept on this. You staying up?"

I nodded. "I'm going to wait for Kristy. I think I have another heavy talk ahead of me."

Dawn put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure it will be fine. Kristy's mad—she has a right to be—but she'll get over it. You know how she is."

I did. I knew that Kristy would, eventually, get over it. I also knew that it could be a long time coming. I made myself a pot of coffee and sat down to wait.


	10. Chapter 10: Kristy

**Kristy**

When Cary and I broke up I turned to running to deal with my problems. I'd started running in high school, but had really ramped up my mileage in the past year. Some would say I ran to get away from my problems, but it was really a lot simpler than that: Running was something I could control. I could control how fast, how far, how long. Even when everything else in my life spun out of control.

I could feel things spinning now. Dawn's news didn't really bother me all that much. I was upset that she'd been keeping it a secret from us while we lived in her house, but she and I had never been close to the point that I felt slighted at not being invited to her commitment ceremony, or whatever she was calling it. But _Mary Anne_ and my _brother _keeping their apparent relationship a secret? That was betrayal, plain and simple. As I ran, all the little inconsistencies and strange remarks I'd heard over the past year began to add up. Mary Anne's newfound billiards ability. The fact that she and Sam had become jogging buddies. Her reluctance to date. The time I'd called Sam on a Sunday morning and I'd thought I heard someone else in the room with him. I'd teased him about having a secret girlfriend, and he'd said it was the TV. The weekend they were mysteriously out of town at the same time. And all those hints Dawn had been dropping throughout the summer. I'd been played.

Why would they do this to me? What had they been so afraid of? Even though Mary Anne and I, as little kids, had thought it would be really cool if she ended up marrying one of my brothers so we could be sisters, I hadn't thought of the possibility of Mary Anne and Sam together in years. It certainly wasn't something I would have had a problem with. What good reason did they have for not telling me? Did they mean more to each other now than I meant to either of them? How could I ever trustthem again? And, why them? Why did they get to have each other when I was alone? I hadn't realized, as Mary Anne had consoled me through my breakup with Cary, that she'd actually been secretly sleeping with my brother. She must have thought me so pathetic. She and Sam probably laughed over my misery, thankful that they weren't alone like me.

I ran for a good hour and was still angry when I slowed to a walk as I approached the house. I didn't really want to go inside. As I got closer, I saw a silhouette coming towards me. It was too masculine to be Mary Anne or Dawn. Good. They were the last people I wanted to talk to.

"I saw you run by a couple times. Thought you could use one of these." Tom handed me a Sierra Nevada.

I took a long swig. "Thanks."

"So. That was interesting."

"You could say that," I agreed.

"You okay?"

"I've been better." I collapsed into the sand and began to stretch. "After you left I found out my best friend and my brother are sleeping together. They've been at it for about a year, apparently. Everybody knew except me."

"Mary Anne? Wow. A lot of secrets are coming out tonight. What's yours?"

I looked at Tom, sitting beside me. He looked so young. Nineteen seemed forever ago. When I was nineteen I'd had a general idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Mary Anne and I had told each other everything. I'd had Cary.

I pride myself on being in control, but things had been spinning out of control for long enough. Without answering Tom's question, I grabbed him by the collar of his Abercrombie T-shirt and pulled him toward me. He tasted like beer and sweat. He didn't pull away, though, which I took as a good sign. When we pulled away he looked unsure of himself.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" he asked.

"Do you find me attractive?" I demanded.

"What?"

"Do you find me attractive? Do I have a sparkling personality? Would you find it hard to let me go?"

"Honestly, you can be kind of abrasive. But that's just who you are. I've had more fun with you this summer than just about anybody else."

I kissed Tom again.

"Did I pass the test?" he asked.

"Just shut up," I said. "Have you ever been with an older woman?" I grabbed Tom's T-shirt and fumbled with it until I'd successfully extracted it from his body. I threw it toward the ocean. It floated to the ground and landed in the sand a few feet away.

"Where are you going with this? Are you drunk?"

Honestly, I wasn't sure where I was going. "I've had two sips of beer. Of course I'm not drunk."

"I think it scares me even more that you're sober. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want to take advantage of you."

"Who said _you're_ the one taking advantage of _me_?"

Ten minutes later, Tom and I sat side by side in the sand. "This is turning out to be one of the most unusual nights of my life," Tom observed.

"You and me both," I said.

"I won't tell anyone. If that's what you want, I mean."

"I'd prefer to keep it that way," I agreed. Obviously, not all of my ideas are great.

"So. Uh, do you want to come hang at our place? I get the feeling you don't really want to go home. You can even crash on our couch, if you want."

I nodded. The lights were still on in our place. I knew Mary Anne was waiting up. Let her suffer.

I woke up to the sun streaming in through the window and an ache in my back. For a moment I wondered why I was on a strange couch and wearing a pair of too-big men's sweatpants and a T-shirt that read, "Tijuana: City of Tomorrow." I looked around. An empty pizza box and several Taco Bell wrappers littered the coffee table and a beer can pyramid balanced precariously in a corner of the room. Surf boards were lined up against the fireplace. In a rush last night's events came back to me. I remembered Dawn's naked husband, finding out about Mary Anne and Sam's torrid love affair and Tom. Oh, shit. Tom. Last night we'd agreed to forget about what had happened between us, but in the light of day I didn't see how I could face him. I had to get out of here.

I groggily looked at my watch: 5:15. I hoped I could sneak out and back into our house without running into anybody. I spotted my running clothes in a crumpled pile near the door. They had been wet and sandy when we'd come in and Tom had given me some of his clothes to change into. As quietly as possible I pulled on my shoes and gathered my clothes in my arms. I bumped into Aidan on my way out.

"Hey. Surf's up. Wanna catch a few?" He didn't seem to think it odd in the least that I was sneaking out of his house at the crack of dawn.

"No. Thanks," I curtly replied. I jogged to our house and let myself in. The house was quiet the way houses are when all of their occupants are still asleep. I tiptoed up the stairs to my room and flopped down on the bed. I hoped when I woke this nightmare would be over.


End file.
